Death of the sickie: Now we still go to work even when we’re ill

THE number of staff going into work when they are ill has trebled since 2010, according to a survey of more than 1,000 firms.

It found that 72 per cent of employees turned up sick in 2016, compared with only 26 per cent in 2010. The rise suggests employees feel increasingly under pressure to put their health at risk.

The survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development examined 1,021 companies, which represented 4.6million workers. Rachel Suff, who led the research, told The Times: ‘If people are coming into work when really unwell it means that they are not performing and not adding value to their job, while their own condition could worsen or they could pass it to other workers.’

Many of the 2,000 employees surveyed said they feared work would pile up if they took time off.

And more than two in five said their employer puts the results of the company ahead of their health and wellbeing.